Ian
Potter
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Interviewed by Sharon Donaldson
3.3.15
Aged 66. Moved to Oakwood in1954 and parents bought house in Fitzroy Drive
near Oakwood Clock. Lived here more or less ever since. Moved back to Fitzroy
Drive when married. Was at no 43 and then no 55. Moved to Carr Manors then to
property in North Lane in 1988 or 1986. Likes Leeds a lot. Roundhay and
Oakwood just great. Went to college in Manchester – never really liked it. You can
be into city centre in 12 minutes or countryside in 2 minutes.
Always happy to get back to Oakwood.
Quantity Surveyor in Wakefield for West Riding of Yorkshire. Moved to work in
Halifax, Bradford, then City Square. Joined snooker club (Home Guard Club) with
three tables and a little bar when I was 18. Went on committee about six years ago.
Have been President. There are new, younger, members on committee now so time
for me to move aside.
Dad was a member. Have junior members now, from the age of 14. Joined
Sandmoor Golf Club from age 13. No dress code now – better. Can be off-putting
for young people. I liked the formality and feeling that it was special.
I got my friends to join snooker club at 18. All still members. Used to be an
honesty box and losers had to pay. Card school in bar – 7 card Brag. Lots of banter.
Remember - Bert Tasker was manager at M&S in Briggate – he loved his job. A
father and son pair – Albert Carter and son who made a fortune from fruit
machines – they invented the ‘nudge’ and patented it.
Opened up club to junior members from Roundhay School who wanted to play
snooker as an alternative to cross country. Then this stopped, so have to be more
proactive in attracting junior members – hold a junior competition.
Farmers’ market. Wife and I sold jams and chutneys at Leeds market. We really
liked it. Really hard work. I rang Leeds Council about starting a Farmers’ Market
in Oakwood – reaction was positive but they said they had already been
approached. I went along to the meeting with lots of experience and contacts.
Being run by ladies from REAP. Best committee I’ve ever been on. They do what
they say they will. 7th birthday of the market now. Took six months to organise at
the start. Have had to move recently because of the clock and the paving. Had three
options – being on grass, being at old tram place, or on Park Avenue on the
pavement. We opted for Park Avenue. Roundhay Park and Council have been
incredibly kind – have put woodchip down to stop it being muddy. February
market well attended.
Meeting tonight to decide layout for new market. 8ft x 4ft stalls. Some people need
power, some have to be out of the sun. Have regulars and guests – 16 regular
stallholders and 4/5 guest stallholders. Need the guests to keep it fresh. Stallholders
pay £27.50 for a ‘standing’. To rent a stall costs another £10 and volunteers put
them up.
Made a film about the market – 14 minutes long. OFM is a limited company – we
pay the Council £3.50 as a rent and also pay something to Roundhay Park. Money
left over goes towards REAP which has charitable status. It’s successful because
it’s well organised and it’s a community run market.
We don’t need an Oakwood sign because we have the clock. It’s never been a
village but it’s a nice suburb of Leeds. Market has brought people together. They
come and have a chat.
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I do the market’s website. Felt that Council should have helped with putting clock
right. But it’s fantastic that OTRA has got together to do it.
Snooker club and OFM have both bought a brick.
Hearsay – the snooker tables were found upstairs in the Hall under dust sheets. A
lot of churches had halls with snooker tables to encourage men to come to church.
Seen as a good place for Home Guard to meet – wasn’t meant to be a snooker club
originally.
1954 – went to Gledhow Infants School on Lidgett Lane. I used to walk there on
my own. Then went to junior school on Gledhow Lane. Was very happy there.
Liked the teachers. Had one room with an open fire. Small playground and outside
toilets. In cricket if you hit the ball outside the playground you got a six but you
were out – to discourage you from hitting the ball out the playground.
Gledhow Junior School – went there for one year. Took 11+ but failed it. A major
disaster for me. Nearly all friends went to Roundhay School. I went to Allerton
Grange Comprehensive School. Quite a good school in those days. Form teacher
Mr Talbot. I was in B form. Discovered later I was dyslexic. Comprehensive
system gave me a chance.
Spent hours and hours playing football on Soldiers’ Field. Used hockey goals. Had
big green sheds for cricket equipment. Used them as goals. Were Park Attendants
telling you not to do stuff. Went into park for whole day in the summer playing
Commandos. Giant hide and seek game. Climbed trees.
Was a Cub at Ladywood Church and daughter Caroline was a Brownie. Became a
Scout. I had to go to Church for Scouts Parade. Old Church demolished. New
Church thrives.
Fitzroy Drive – Mr Turnbull lived next door. His brother, when he was Lord
Mayor, came in his Daimler to shave his brother, because he was poorly and would
park outside.
Opposite was a quarry and a big quarry at the back. We built a den there. The
house next to the flat bit of the quarry had a crack down it due to subsidence. Mr
Turnbull said he and my dad should buy it and fix it but my dad didn’t want to take
the risk. Someone else did it. Some other houses had cracks.
I remember coming back from Ladywood Church once, when I was young, and I
went to the fish and chip shop to buy chips. I was petrified walking home in the
dark.